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Welcome to Am I Infected

IMPORTANT UPDATE
Posted Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Welcome to the "Am I Infected?" POZ forum.

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Thank you for your understanding
and future support of the best online support service for people living with,
affected by and at risk for HIV.

Unprotected sexual intercourse with a confirmed HIV+ person chance is 5 to 10000 or 1 in 2000. wearing a condom decrease the risk for about 10 fold. So wearing a condom and broke is better odds compared to not wearing at all.

So relax! an HIV test in 3 months or 13-14 weeks will reveal your status.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Can I ask why you are using different usernames while posting to our forums? Thus far, you have also used Stillscared

Please realize that this kind of activity is disrespectful of other forum members, as well as our moderators. People spend a considerable amount of time helping others in these forums. Using multiple accounts is at the very least annoying, if not deceiving and disrespectful of others. It is also against our Terms of Membership which you agreed to when you became a member. This information is also contained within the Welcome Thread, which you should have read by now. So really, you have no excuse.

You must realize that the answers won't change, no matter how many names you post under.

I would appreciate a reply to this message, and I hope you will commit to using just one account - preferably your original one. If not, you will be banned from further access to the forums.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Write your details down this time and keep them safe. If you create a third account, you will be banned, no questions asked.

You should not be using the same condom to go from anal to vaginal intercourse. You will spread bacteria from the rectum to the vagina and give the woman a bacterial infection. It also increases the chances of the condom breaking as you have found out. Always change the condom when switching from anal to vaginal.

Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus and it's highly unlikely that you would have become infected with hiv from this condom break. I've yet to see an insertive partner test positive after a condom break and I don't expect you to either.

But you know the drill, you should test to be certain at 12-13 weeks after this happened.

Please read through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you know how to use them correctly. A correctly used condom rarely breaks.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Even if she IS hiv positive, you are unlikely to become infected from this incident. Exposure does not necessarily equal successful transmission, especially when we're talking about the insertive partner.

You should still test to make certain. Anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results. Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv.

As for the likelyhood of her getting a bacterial infection, well, how long is a peice of string? Tell her to keep an eye out for itchyness in her genital area and/or an unusual vaginal discharge. If either of these things occur, tell her to see her doctor. Bacterial vaginosis is common and easy to treat, but it must be treated as it can move up into the reproductive tract and cause fertility problems.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I forgot to mention that going from anal to vaginal can also cause yeast (thrush) infection. The organism that causes this infection is found in the digestive tract, where there are friendly bacteria that keep it in check. If it is introduced into the vagina, it can cause infection. The symptoms are also itching and unusual vaginal discharge, but it won't cause fertility problems. It's just damned uncomfortable! Again, if this occurs, it is easily treated and she should see her doctor.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

It has now been 15 days since my incident. I am still scared but keeping myself busy. I saw the girl on the weekend and brought up the subject that I am slightly worried as what I did was out of character on my part and have always been a worry well with this sort of problem. She assured me I had nothing to worry about as she had been tested a month before and hadnt been with anyone else in between. This reassured me a bit.

Still though having trouble getting over this incident. Should I wait another 13 days and have the PCR test done? Or wait for the 13 week elisa? Scared of those false positives!

PCR tests are not approved for diagnostic purposes because they have a very high rate of false positive. The last thing you and your anxiety needs is a false positive result.

Whether or not this woman is hiv positive, you are unlikely to become infected from a condom break. Hiv is a fragile difficult to transmit virus and more so from a woman to a man. I've yet to see the insertive partner test positive after a condom break.

However, as you did have a small risk and, as you cannot go by what someone thinks about their hiv status, you do need to test. A negative antibody test at six weeks would be an excellent indication of your true status. That is the earliest you should even consider testing.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

If you test tomorrow, it will be one day short of five weeks. The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six weeks, with the average time to seroconversion being only 22 days. You will be at 34 days so yes a test tomorrow would be an excellent indication of your true status, although not conclusive.

I'm still expecting you to test negative over this vaginal, brief condom break.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

The symptoms that I mentioned are they HIV related. The vomiting upset sdtomach rash on eye lids and forehead(little red dots) cramps etc. Is this the right itme for these symptoms to be showing for hiv? I know you have said symptoms are nothing to go on but I am starting to get freaked out again. No fever or night sweats though.

Also if these are in face HIV symptoms will my test show positive? Or will the test only be positive after the symptoms are gone? Assuming they are acute hiv infection symptoms...

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

5 weeks ago,mostly protected intercourse with a female of unknown status, The condom broke again! (afer putting it on properly...) I have no idea how long it was broken for.... Anything between 5 and 10 minutes.

I didnt think much of it having learnt from my previous experience. Last week, four weeks after possile exposure, upset stomach, pain in the groin, fatigue and possible fever(didnt measure temp) and night sweats . Today, symptoms gone. This has got me worried. All points to possible sero-conversion sickness...Would the fever be serious enough to actually make you feel like flu or really sick???

Sorry to have dug up the old thread. These situations make me stress far too much and I do practise safe sex, so I do try stop getting myelf into these situations.

thanks for taking the time to read and any response will be appreciated.

Look, the likelihood of you having been infected as a result of this encounter is vanishingly small. You were protected up until the condom broke. Given that HIV is a fragile virus and difficult to transmit -especially from female to male- I'd say you'll most like test negative.

But you should test at the 12-13 week point. I'd remind you that symptoms are meaningless in terms of HIV transmission, it's risk behaviours that matter.

One more question, with regards to symptoms, and I know you all say they are nothing to go by but they are pretty hard to ignore!!

Do they all come up at once and then stop at once? As I said last week I had those symptoms, and they stopped. This week definately feeling fluish. No night sweats or noticable fever. But Def sinus and uneasy feling. No swollen glands that I can notice either, no rash etc.... Not feeling all that ill, but hose symptoms are noticable!!! Also with regard to te nght sweats, are they profuse? Ie wet shirt and sheat or minimal??? Same goes for the diareah??

We don't discuss symptoms here because they are not a reliable indicator of HIV infection.

The symptoms that some people experience during seroconversion are largely indistinguishable from those experienced during any other viral infection, ie they're not specific to HIV. Many other people experience no symptoms whatsoever.

We've found it's much better to focus of specific risk behaviours and the results of HIV antibody tests performed at the right time and that applies to you to. You've had a very low risk. You should test at 12-13 weeks, but I'm fully confident that you'll return a negative result.

Tomorrow will be a day short of 8 weeks? Going to test. Need to get this off my chest. Just how reliable is a test at 8 weeks. From my encounter, assuming the test is negative which im praying it is. Should I re-test?

Amazingly today, woke up feeling great and didnt think about my burden at all. As soon as the thought came up I tried to think of something else right away. Felt healthier from this. Amazing what the mind can do! Testing tomorrow morning at 8 weeks, and when i get the chance in the future il do so again. Just hoping for that negative! Feeling more and more confident that I will come out of this okay.

Obviously HIV is terrible. I know this. But I will not let it make me live my life in fear or wonder about every person I meet. Obviously remaining careful.

Thank you guys once again for taking the time to answering my quetions over and over again!